


There's No Fire Without Air

by 0regina1



Series: Bringing Balance to the World [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Book 4, F/M, Mental Health Issues, POV Multiple, Post-Finale, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:40:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26793013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0regina1/pseuds/0regina1
Summary: Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Together with the Avatar, master of all four elements, my friends and I ended the hundred-year war. And although Avatar Aang has declared peace, there is a lot of work to be done before the nations are in harmony once again. But I believe Aang can bring balance to the world.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Series: Bringing Balance to the World [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1953838
Comments: 11
Kudos: 11





	1. Aftershocks

"I thought that once we finally won the war, everything would be in balance and there would be peace," Aang told Appa and Momo. They were hiding in the stables from the Fire Sages and their lectures about all of the Avatar duties that needed to be done. They couldn't go out exploring during this storm.

"The four nations would be in harmony again. We could've gone to Ba Sing Se to see the zoo that I built and maybe we could've gone and had tea in Sifu Hotma-, I mean, Zuko's Uncle's teashop. And then Sokka might've painted another one of his really bad portraits again that Toph would've make a blind joke about."

He laughed at that thought. He then imagined that he would've gone out outside for some fresh air, and his forever girl, Katara, would've followed him and kissed him while there was an awesome sunset in the sky above.

Lightning flashed and Momo shrieked, bringing Aang back to the Fire Nation palace.

"I know," Aang agreed. "Even though we defeated Fire Lord Ozai and declared the war over, it doesn't feel as if we did."

They received a messenger hawk a couple days ago from Bumi that said that the Order of the White Lotus had managed to reconquer Ba Sing Se and were managing the Earth Kingdom in their monarch's absence. It sounded as if the Dai Li coup and the invasions had greatly disrupted the political system and that there was a lot of work to be done. However, besides a letter from Zuko's uncle saying he was on his way to the Fire Nation, they haven't heard any updates. They probably were stuck somewhere because of the storm.

The wind howled and the rain fell heavily on the roof. There would be a lot of damage that would need to be fixed after the storm. There was already a lot of injuries from the day of the comet. Katara was busy healing people every day. Zuko was recovering from the effects of Azula's lightning and Sokka had a broken leg. Everyone was exhausted and battered.

Aang drifted off remembering the kite flying games he would play with his friends at the air temples. He missed those days.

"There you are Avatar Aang."

He groaned. The Fire Sages had found him. Now he had to be the Avatar again.

* * *

The lightning flashed and Katara froze.

"We don't have to do this now," said Zuko. They were in his chambers doing a healing session for the starburst wound on his chest.

She tried to protest but the peal of thunder crashed into her senses. The water slipped from her control. They both were soaked.

"Sorry!" She tried to pull the water from their clothes. Her hands shook. "I'm sor-!"

"It's alright," he said, stilling her hands in his. He turned to a servant. "Can I get some towels, please?"

"Yes, sir."

He sat up on the edge of the bed and pulled her closer to sit next to him.

Katara hated feeling this helpless. She was supposed to be healing the wound that he got from the lightning that was aimed for her. Zuko was struck down by the lightning. Aang was struck down too.

She jumped when the warm towel was draped on her shoulders. Zuko tightened the towel around her.

"You're safe here."

She nodded and closed her eyes. Katara leaned into his body and listened to the beat of the blood being pumped through his body. He was here. He was alive.

When she dared to open her eyes again, Zuko was looking towards windows. His eyes reflected the golden candlelight while the heavens raged on outside.

* * *

Toph walked among the wreckage in the South District outside of the Caldera. It was a poorer district and the storm had damaged a lot of buildings. Roofs were ripped off, trees were toppled, and the land had slipped. The ground rumbled underneath. There were a lot of people around trying to pick up pieces of their lives and put it together again.

"Help!"

She ran towards the cry for help and found a fight breaking between a commoner and one of the palace guards she recognised.

"My wife," he pleaded. "she's in there!"

"It's too dangerous."

The man was pointing towards a collapsed house that felt very unstable.

"I heard her."

Toph walked towards the building, trying to pick out the vibrations of his wife.

"I'm sorry," she said sadly.

"What do you mean you're sorry?"

The guard said, "She means that your wife has passed on."

"How do you know that? She is alive! I'm telling you!" He ran towards his old home.

Toph slid her foot and shifted the earth beneath his feet. He fell to the ground.

"You're an earthbender!" he shouted at her. "It's your fault the spirits attacked us, you piece of dirt! Go back to where you crawled out from."

Toph stood her ground. "And what? Is that the best insult you've got? I'm proud of my healthy covering of earth!"

He got up and punched a couple of fire balls her way. She encased his feet in earth and waited in a blocking position for the heat of the flames, but they never came.

"That's enough!"

The man and the people around them knelt to the ground.

"Hi Zuko."

His guards did not seem pleased at the lack of title, but the Fire Lord said nothing to correct her. At least she didn't call him "Sifu Hotman" or something.

"The war is over. We have rebuilding to do if we're to survive the monsoon season." He spotted the man struggling to release his feet. "Release him."

She sighed and kicked open the blocks.

The man grovelled towards Zuko. "My wife, she's in there. I heard her."

"Toph?"

She shook her head and started walking away. There were other people that were buried alive that she wanted to get to first.

"The man should be with his family."

She put her hands on the ground to assess how to move the building without it toppling over. It was going to be slow to move the rubble away safely.

When the lifeless body was revealed, the man rushed forward to clutch at her.

Zuko sighed. He spoke to the soldiers. "Direct the man and his wife to the Golden Temple along with any survivors you see along the way."

"Yes, sir."

The man and the body of his wife ushered away.

"Aren't you going to say something?" Toph asked. "Like, thank you?"

"What are you doing here?"

She put her hands on her hips. "Helping your citizens."

"How did you get here?"

"I walked."

"The guards didn't notice you leave?"

"Apparently I'm not the blind one."

He rubbed his temples then said, "Anyways, your family sent another letter asking about you again."

She crossed her arms. "I'm not going back there."

"Why not?"

"All I'll be doing is taking etiquette lessons again."

"I get it. Even I have to take etiquette lessons," said Zuko. "At least you have parents that care."

She grimaced. "They have a funny way of showing it with all the threats of invading the Fire Nation."

"At least they care enough to come find you instead of sending you away to exile."

"You're don't want me around either," Toph realised. Aang was avoid earthbending training with her. Katara was busy healing people at the field hospital set up at the Golden Temple. And Sokka and Suki were helping with the repair and restocking of the ships to take everyone else home.

"That's not it." He crossed his arms. "I just think that it would be a good opportunity for you and your parents reconnect and forgive each other."

"You've been spending too much time around Katara. You sound just like her!"

He motionless for a moment and then said, "Very well, stay here if you want. Just make sure there are some guards around you."

She continued to search for survivors on her own, but Zuko was never too far away. He ordered his guards and soldiers to help pull people out after Toph had reinforced the collapsed structures and cleared a pathway to them with her bending.

Sometime after lunch, a guard approached him with a message. "Sir, General Iroh has returned."

"Your uncle is back? I going with you."

Toph could sense his frustration with her. She had just ignored his order to go rest, but she didn't care. She had enough of people controlling her actions. She wasn't a doll or puppet.

* * *

In Ba Sing Se before the comet, Zuko's uncle declared that he was going to reconquer his tea shop and play pai sho every day. Fire Lord Zuko was glad that the proclamation turned out to be one of his uncle's jokes. Once the situation in the Earth Kingdom had settled down and the typhoon had blown over, Uncle Iroh had returned to provide support and advice. His wisdom on managing the politicians and noblemen amongst everything else that was going on was invaluable.

Privately, Zuko would've handed over the crown to his uncle if he had asked. He had the training and leadership experience whereas Zuko had was still learning how to fix the mistake he kept making.

His uncle had said that that was the reason Zuko had to be Fire Lord during this time.

Zuko had a clear vision. He wanted to restore the Fire Nation's honour.

He pushed and pulled the energies, separating them, feeling their power and-

He landed on his butt. His ears rang. The scar on his chest throbbed.

A guard, only a year or so older than him snickered. Zuko vaguely remembered training with him in the Royal Fire Nation School.

In public, his guards treated him with the deference dictated by the court, but in private they relaxed their interactions after seeing his friends' casual interactions with him. Sokka, Toph, and Aang were always making jokes at his expense. Speaking of Aang, he should be training his firebending instead of having fun.

"Maybe you should rest, Fire Lord Zuko," said Uncle Iroh, barely sparing a glance. He was playing pai sho with one of the other guards.

Zuko accepted a towel from a servant. "Why am I still unable to bend lightning?"

His uncle placed a piece on the board. "You need to be in perfect balance."

"But we've ended the war. Everything should be in balance now."

"But are you in balance? Do you feel at peace?"

Zuko considered this while the guard placed tentatively placed his piece.

"No."

"Why is that?"

"There is still so much to do."

"Stopping the war doesn't mean everything is in balance and peace. It will take a lot of work build and sustain peace."

It seemed like an impossible task. "Where do I even begin?"

Uncle Iroh paused to play a tile before speaking again. "Before you can bring balance to others, you must find balance within yourself. This is one thing others can help with."

"How? I thought you said that I need to be balanced first before I could bring balance to others."

"If you are struggling to balance, it helps to have support." He looked up and made eye contact with Zuko. "For example, after Sokka broke his leg he couldn't walk and used crutches to help him balance and move around. Find people who will be your support and you will be more able to support others."

"I see."

The guard played a piece and Iroh immediately followed with one of his own. The guard lost and sat stunned in disbelief.

"And that is why it is crucial to choose carefully who you marry."

Not this again. "Surely that can wait."

"Who you marry would be involved in every aspect of your life and therefore has the potential to support or hinder it. In addition to succession planning, it is important to understand that the Fire Lord and his family symbolises the relationship between the citizens and the Fire Nation. They are deeply intertwined. My advice is to choose someone who you love. Now tell me Zuko, do you have a special, lady friend?"

He quickly dismissed the involuntary thought of Katara. He shouldn't be thinking of her like that. Instead, he said, "I had a girlfriend, Mai."

He raised an eyebrow. "Friend of Azula and daughter of the Governor Ukano?"

"I don't think she's friends with Azula anymore, but yes, that's her. But she hasn't returned to the capital."

One of the reports concerning Mai said that she and Ty Lee were sentenced to prison, and her uncle, the warden of Boiling Rock, was replaced on the basis of treason and incompetence. He was placed in another jail. A later report then said that Ty Lee had recently returned to her family, but Mai and her uncle have not returned to their previous positions. Presumably they had gone to one of the colonies where her father and family were now located after losing the New Ozai colony. The dishonour from losing the colony combined with Mai's betrayal of the Fire Nation Princess would have shamed them from returning to their home in the capital.

He felt guilty. The dishonour to Mai's family was caused by his own.

"By the way, have you managed to talk to Azula?"

Azula and Fire Lord Ozai were recently tried and punished according to Fire Nation Law. Because of her mental state and the argument that she was following orders, she was granted probation to be carried out in Capital City instead of being sentenced to prison like their father. However, Ba Sing Se was demanding that they turn her over to them with Fire Lord Ozai. If his sister or father were handed over to the other nations, they would be killed or held hostage.

"I tried, but she keeps turning me away," said Uncle Iroh. "It must run in the family."

Zuko winced at his not too distant memories. He was around her age when he was burned and banished. It was the best thing that could've happened to him, but even if they could, he didn't think sending her on a life changing journey will help her in this situation. They would have to find a way to help her here in Capital City instead.

"That's why I'm asking for your help. Maybe you could help her like what you did for me?"

"I wasn't as close with her as I was with you, but I'll try. It's painful to see someone so young and so full of potential not use it to her fullest."

"Thank you." If he couldn't help his family there was no way he could help Fire Nation. His sister wasn't well and father was in custody. He wished his mother was here and that they were a happy family again, but that was impossible.

* * *

Sokka and the others were at the docks saying their final farewells before they sailed home. General Iroh had presented him with an ornately lacquered chest filled with scrolls. He opened one up.

"Water Tribe scrolls?" He opened a couple more. "How did you get so many? They weren't there in the library." While he was on crutches and during his free time away from Suki, Sokka stayed in the library. It wasn't as large as Wan Shi Tong's library, but it held more scrolls than he had ever come across growing up. After finding a Water Tribe scroll, he spent the rest of his time searching for more only to find a handful.

"One of our friends had them," said General Iroh.

"Which friend?"

"Just someone we play Pai Sho with," said Pakku. He arrived in the Fire Nation Capital with the general a couple days ago and would be sailing to the Southern Water Tribe too.

Sokka narrowed his eyes. Even if he asked, he wouldn't get much more information about the White Lotus from them. He knew that they had influence over politics and were instrumental in dismantling Fire Nation rule in Ba Sing Se. In the short time that the General and Pakku arrived, they somehow managed to secure their ships and all the items they needed to repair and stock up after Sokka and Zuko unsuccessfully tried for weeks. But HOW they did that, Sokka had no idea.

"It seems that your leg is better," said General Iroh.

"Yup, thanks to Katara!" Even with waterbending healing, fixing a broken bone took a long time, but at least now he could walk now without any assistance.

"Where is she now?" asked their father.

Sokka turned his head to search for his sister. "She isn't here yet? I told her to be here before high tide!"

Everyone, including Aang who was going to train with Pakku, the Day of Black Sun troops, Hama, and a couple old southern waterbenders that they found were here like they were supposed to. If they missed this tide what were they supposed to do?

"Perhaps she's doing final check-ups on her patients," said General Iroh.

Before Sokka could complain how Katara's desire to help others interfered with his carefully made plans, an ostrich-horse carriage rolled up and out hopped his sister. He recognised the driver and other passengers as her friends from the healing centres. One looked exactly like Ty Lee but was apparently one of her older sisters.

Katara spotted Sokka and said hurried over with a large box. Hadn't she already sent her items ahead like he asked her to days ago?

"Nephew! Help Master Katara carry her belongings!"

Zuko, who was chatting to the rest of Team Avatar nearby, jumped to attention and hurried over to help Katara carry her stuff. Aang bounded over followed by Suki and Toph. As they approached the ship, a couple Tribes men came store it below deck.

"You're late!"

"There's still some time left before high tide. My friends had one last thing they wanted to give me, but I'm pretty much ready to go now."

Sokka's felt his father's hand on his shoulder and he held back his retort.

"Now that we're all here everyone, everyone should start boarding," Chief Hakoda announced. His father then bowed to the Fire Lord and General Iroh. "Once again thank you for helping to end the war, your hospitality, and for saving my daughter's life. You will be warmly welcomed at the Southern Water Tribe."

"Yeah, thank you for saving Katara," chimed Aang.

"And I'm sorry for all the trouble she's caused," added Sokka to his sister's chagrin and Toph's amusement.

"She caused no trouble at all," said Fire Lord Zuko, bowing. "In fact, she and everyone on board have done us a great honour by helping us with the rebuilding efforts."

"There is still much to do before we finally bring peace and balance to the world," added his uncle, "but if anyone can do it, it'll be you, my nephew, and your generation. You have already done what we thought impossible and ended the war."

Pakku and Sokka's father echoed the praises.

Sokka smiled at his friends and held hands with Suki. Considering everything they've gone through in the last nine months or so, would there be anything that wouldn't be able to face head-on? Together they had found the Avatar and ended the war, and now they would be able to sail home with their loved ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I hope that you and your loved ones are well.
> 
> Avatar: The Last Airbender was an important part of my life and when the series ended, I kept wondering what happened after they declared the war over. I know there are the canon comics, but by the time they came out I already had a few ideas rattling in my head that wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote them down in a story. It took some time to (mostly) make sense of it all, but here is the first of twenty chapters in this book. If everything goes well, I should be back with another chapter in a week.
> 
> This story takes place in the same post-finale AU as my other fic, Moments and Memories, but be warned, there are spoilers there.
> 
> Another warning; this story deals with mental illness. If there are some other warnings I should add, let me know.
> 
> I welcome feedback, but please remember that the characters are still learning and so am I. Stay safe. Be Kind.


	2. Building Blocks of Peace

In a few short days she would be home on Kyoshi Island. She had just adjusted to her daily routine on the waters too. Early in the mornings, she would watch the waterbending practice on deck, or if the weather was fair, she'd watch them spar in the middle of the ocean.

The last time the morning conditions were perfect, there was a three-way sparring match between the most senior master benders of the three water bending styles. She admired the fluidity the waterbending styles and display of raw power of masters working in their element.

Out of the three, Master Pakku from the Northern Water Tribe was the most fluid, while Hama from the Southern Water Tribe was the most aggressive. Huu's style was the most unique with his seaweed monster. It quickly proved ineffective surrounded by water, but even without it, his bending proved unpredictable, often catching the other two off guard with long range attacks that appeared to come from nowhere. In the end, Master Pakku had won.

"That's a shame," Suki said. "I was rooting for Huu to win."

"Well, considering Hama had been held captive for the last few months and Huu wasn't used to these conditions, Pakku was the most likely to win," reasoned Sokka.

After the waterbenders finished practising, it would be breakfast and then ship duties. Everyone had to help out unless they were sea sick, like poor Toph who was based on another ship with Katara and Aang. They saw each other daily, but would fly back on Appa back to their hammocks.

In the afternoons, while Sokka and the other captains or representative would convene on the main ship, the Kyoshi warriors would have their daily training session.

Today's session was extremely frustrating. Even though she tried to hide from Sokka at dinner, he still noticed.

"Suki, what's wrong?"

She shook her head and forced herself to eat more fried salmon. "It doesn't matter. We'll be arriving in Kyoshi Island soon and I want my time with you to be as happy as possible."

"I'd be happy if you were happy," he said. "What is it?"

She fiddled with her chopsticks, then sighed. "It feels like there's a rift between me and the Kyoshi Warriors. They were all together while I was in Boiling Rock. And now we're reunited, it feels as if there are two factions; those who accept me as the leader, and those who'd prefer Naomi. I understand why. She was who led them through their time in prison."

"You were separated from them and that's not your fault."

"But I also led them into the situation that caused them to be imprisoned in the first place," she snapped.

He put his hands up. "Look, I'm just trying to help by seeing things from a different point of view. Have you tried talking to them about it?"

"I was going to but things were extremely tense during the drills. I'd give them corrections and some of the girls would has for her opinion which were exactly the same as mine. If they're can't trust my judgement with something as small as drills, imagine if we had to face something life threatening."

There were a lot of little things that were getting under her skin too but that was the main one. Suki wanted to force them all to sit together with her bare hands, but this wasn't a problem that fighting could solve.

"You'll need to talk it through with Naomi," said Sokka. "You can't build an igloo on freshly fallen snow."

She'd never heard that saying before. "As in, you have to have a solid foundation to build on?"

"Yeah. You've only just reformed the group and need to either wait for the situation to settle or work together to flatten the ground until you can build on it, otherwise cracks will appear later."

"But shouldn't I be talking directly to the girls instead? I don't have any real issue with Naomi."

"But they trust Naomi. She'd be able to influence the girls to trust you more. If you already have a good relationship with Naomi then that makes things easier, but it's always good to talk with her."

"I guess."

He took her hands in his. "You know, my dad once told me that a leader creates more leaders. The fact that the Kyoshi Warriors were able to function without you is a sign that you've done a great job with them."

"Do you think that giving her more responsibility would work?"

"That's a good idea."

It was a terrifying idea too. She had been the Leader of the Kyoshi Warriors for so long that giving up that responsibility permanently was daunting. "But if I give her more power, what does that make me?"

"You're still Suki, the strongest warrior and woman I know."

She kissed him for that. "Thanks, Sokka. What will I do without you?"

"You'd manage. I have faith in you. We'll stop over at Kyoshi Island on our way to the Ba Sing Se summit and we can send letters too."

She snuggled up closer to Sokka as he ranted his missing messenger hawks. Suki would miss seeing him every day. He had this uncanny ability to make her laugh and see a different point of view. She closed her eyes to savour the moment with him to sustain her for when they would have to be apart.

* * *

Princess Azula thought that she heard another knock on her door, but she ignored it. She continued reading the Art of War instead.

"Azula, it's me. Can you open up?"

It sounded like her brother, but it could've also just been a hoax like that Ty Lee impostor they sent in the other day. At least they learnt their lesson and hadn't dared to try sending in an impostor Mai. They were traitors, not her friends and they should be left to rot.

The door opened to her brother. It was him all right. The servants may fear her to the point of obeying her every command, but he was the Fire Lord, wearing the crown that should have been hers.

"To what reason do I owe the honour of you visiting me again so soon?" she said sarcastically. He and uncle have been visiting her often recently. Her uncle would visit almost every day to have tea and chatter on about old stories of when she was young, but Zuzu usually would only visit a every three or four days. His last visit was yesterday.

He dismissed the guards and sat on a chair nearby.

"Azula, I'm worried about you."

She stayed silent.

"You've hardly left your room and haven't been eating well."

If she left her room, she would be vulnerable to attack. And the food was predictably poisoned.

"I get what you're going through-"

"How can you know what I'm going through?"

"I was ban-," he cut himself short and took a couple breaths before speaking again. "No, sorry let me start again. I'm worried about you and I'd like to help."

"Even mother couldn't help me." She would just whisper pretty lies.

"Is there something else?"

Azula checked her nails. The nail beds were cracked. "You could release father."

"You know I cannot do that. He was tried and sentenced to jail."

"You're a weak puppet pandering to foreign influence."

"It's not weakness to work together with others."

"That Waterbending peasant has you wrapped around her little finger."

"Leave Katara out of this."

On other occasions she would press on with that topic, but today she didn't want to talk about her. Azula hated that Water Tribe Peasant. "It makes no difference how much support you have around the world, there is no way that the Fire Nation citizens will take you for their leader. You hardly were in the nation for the past couple years. You're practically a colonial."

"The colonials are Fire Nation citizens too," he said. "Azula, I'm not here to talk about politics with you. I'm here to see if you were okay. Was there some food you'd like to order or somewhere you'd like to go?"

"No." There was no point. She stayed quiet after that. She had grown bored of his conversation and wanted to continue reading. After a few unanswered questions, he finally took the hint and left telling her to ask the servants if she wanted anything as if she didn't know that. She was the princess.

* * *

Katara watched the sun dip low below the horizon and wondered how Zuko was doing in the Fire Nation. At this time, she would normally be eating street food on her break with Bai He and some other healers at the temple near the palace. In the Fire Nation, many of their temples doubled as healing centres with the sages also acting as healers. There were many male healers in the Fire Nation unlike the Northern Water Tribe where healing was solely women's work.

She really liked the Fire Nation fried bananas and the pork skewers served with the garlic, soy and sugar sauce, but she craved for Southern Water Tribe food such as sea prunes and roasted seal.

It had been about nine months since Katara was back home at the South Pole, but it felt much longer than that. The men in her tribe haven't been home for almost three years. Hama and the other Southern Waterbenders hadn't been home in almost fifty years.

At the end of the war, there was a series of decrees to return the war prisoners to their homelands. Some were aboard their fleet and some needed to be found and returned home. A couple ships in the fleet had sailed north to take the Haru, Teo and some others to their homes before finally returning south.

Katara spent the days training and chatting to the others. The Southern waterbenders had great stories of Gran Gran when she was younger. Apparently, she was best friends with Hama.

As a member of the Southern Water Tribe, Hama was unbound and participated in the waterbending sessions, but was constantly under high supervision on another ship. So far, she caused no trouble, however Katara didn't forgive the elderly woman for bloodbending Aang and Sokka.

That being said, it was not as if she was any better. Katara remembered what she did to that innocent commander. Less than a year ago, she was barely a waterbender, and now she was a master in the ancient art and a bloodbender.

She went below deck to check on Toph who spent most of the time curled up on the hammock, clutching a bucket.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Still sea sick. Which is ironic, because I can't see on the floating piece of wood."

She ignored the jab and tried to focus on something more positive. "Are you excited to go home? We'll be there soon."

A couple days ago they had arrived at Kyoshi Island to drop Suki and the warriors off and were approaching the mouth of the river that would take them up to Gaoling.

"Not really," Toph said weakly. "I still think I'm going to get into trouble for running away."

"You helped win the war."

"But I still ran away."

Katara rubbed Toph on the back. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you decide to go home?"

"It wasn't because you and Zuko if that's what you're asking."

"Really?" Katara asked gently.

"Well maybe a little. But it was really Uncle Iroh who convinced me," said Toph. "He mentioned that he had to bury his child and it made me feel really guilty because I'm an only child."

The reason took Katara by surprise. "That's very mature of you."

"Thanks – bleurgh."

She drew clean water from a nearby container to wash Toph's face.

"I guess I am looking forward to seeing my parents again, but I miss being in the Fire Nation."

"Yeah," said Katara. "Me too."

* * *

After they docked at Gaoling, they said goodbye to the swamp dwellers who then paddled up the river on their make-shift iceboats. While the others restocked the ship, Aang wanted to explore the docks and find some fresh fruit before Pakku found him to do an afternoon training session, but Sokka had other plans.

"C'mon, Toph, Aang," he said. "We have to go to Toph's parents."

"Can't we do that later?" said Toph. "I'm needed here to see which of these merchants are lying."

"I'm sure that the Boulder and Hippo will be able to catch out any liars," he said to her. "We're trying to catch the outgoing tide in the evening and Dad still wants to meet your parents and deliver that letter from Zuko too."

She sighed, and went along with them.

Their reception at the Beifong Estate was rocky at best. When Appa landed at the front gate, the guards all drew a stance or pointed their weapons at them. From the top of the wall, her parents demanded that they handover Toph or they would hand them over to the authorities.

"What on earth?!" she exclaimed. "I came home from my own free will and you threaten my friends?"

"Do not speak to me that way," said her father, authoritatively.

As Avatar, it was Aang's duty to solve arguments. This was his moment to prove to Katara that he wasn't a kid anymore. He stepped forward before anyone could say anything and amplified his voice. "Hello Toph's parents. I'm Avatar Aang, remember me?"

"Of course, we remember you," said father. "You kidnapped our daughter and took her to the dangerous capital and the Fire Nation."

His felt his cheeks redden. "I didn't kidnap her."

"Lies! We received a letter in her name when we know that Toph cannot write!"

"I wrote down what she said," said Katara. "I even signed it on her behalf."

"And delivered it by a Fire Nation messenger hawk?" They pointed to a bird sitting in the tree.

"Hawky!" cried Sokka. The bird flew to rest on Sokka's outstretched arm.

"You are Fire Nation spies dressed in Water Tribe clothing!"

Aang felt the anger rise within him. He would teach them not to disrespect the Avatar or his friends. Aang was going to show them who they were dealing with, but he was stopped by Chief Hakoda.

"I am Hakoda, Chief of the Southern Water Tribe," he announced, "and father of Sokka and Katara. And as a father, I understand how terrifying it is to risk losing a child."

"Then why bring your children with you to war?"

"If it was up to me, they would've stayed home. However, they had a calling to go accompany the Avatar on his journey, just like your daughter. It is thanks to them that the Hundred Year War had ended. Your daughter is a hero, acknowledged amongst her peers and King Bumi of Omashu as an earthbending prodigy. She is the earthbending teacher of the Avatar, and the first metalbending master. You should be proud to have her as a daughter."

Toph's parents ordered the guards to stand at ease. "Thank you for bringing her home. You will have your reward. Name your price."

"Knowing that our children are home safe is reward enough," Chief Hakoda said. He then gestured to the chests they brought with them. "I have gifts from our tribe and also the Fire Nation show our appreciation for your daughter's role in ending the war and to express our hope for lasting peace in the future."

The gates opened wide. A couple guards stepped forward to receive the gifts.

"There is also another invitation for you and Toph to attend the summit at Ba Sing Se next month."

"I have already replied saying that I would be attending."

"That is good to hear. We will be sailing along the east coast of the continent and would be happy to escort you and Toph to Ba Sing Se if you so wish."

"That would be much appreciated." Toph's father bent down to catch what her mother said to him. "My wife and I invite you to have dinner with us."

"Thank you." He stepped towards the gates. "Let's go."

"Aren't you going to miss your tides?" said Toph.

"Surely we can catch the next high tide?" added Aang.

"We can," said Sokka, "but the winds are unpredictable during this time of year…"

"It won't matter if we miss the tide," said Hakoda.

"I can tell you're lying," said Toph. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Go."

"But-" said Katara.

She crossed her arms. "Sokka said that you have to catch those tides home."

"Are you sure?" asked Katara's dad.

"I am."

"Thank you, Toph we really appreciate it." He patted her on the shoulder. "We'll pick you up on the way to Ba Sing Se."

Chief Hakoda declined the invitation, but exchanged details with Toph's parents about the journey and how to reach them while Aang and the others said goodbye to Toph.

She punched them on the arm. "That's enough, guys! We'll see each other soon."

"But Toph," said Aang, "you're blind."

"Aang!" protested Katara.

The blind earthbender laughed. "We'll it seems that you've learnt something, Pupil Aang. Make sure that you practise your earthbending."

"Yes, Sifu Toph." Not that he needed it. He was a fully realised Avatar.

"Don't lie, Aang."

He wouldn't be able to fool her. "Yes, Toph. I'll be sure to practise my earthbending."

"Good."

* * *

Toph made peace with saying goodbye to her friends knowing that they would pick her and her father up next month to go to Ba Sing Se. Or at least, that was the plan, until he and her mother announced the next morning at breakfast that she wasn't allowed to go.

"Why can't I go to Ba Sing Se for the summit?"

"The Earth King has been missing for months," said her father. "There is no word a successor which indicates the capital is still in turmoil."

"You'll be safer here," added her mother. "Master Fu and Xu were ambushed Ba Sing Se and locked in a metal container. It's not safe there."

"I was the one who was ambushed, and I was the one who locked them in the metal container."

"Not according to them."

They didn't trust her. "I can look after myself. You've seen me fight and I've been to Ba Sing Se! If anything, you'll need me to protect you."

Her father ate another xiao long bao before responding. "The guards will be sufficient."

"I can beat all of the them."

He put down his chopsticks. "Fine, if you can beat all of the guards, then you can accompany me to Ba Sing Se. But if you don't, you will stay here."

Toph felt that he was telling the truth. She accepted this gamble. She couldn't run away from this. "Fine. I'll be waiting at the training area."

"But she's just a young girl," protested her mother.

She ignored her mother's protest and went to where the guards did their daily exercise. She sat down, cross-legged, and waited. She breathed in deeply to ground herself. She had beaten all her opponents at the Earth Rumble Arena and had fought toe to toe against the Dai Li. She would beat all of these guards.

Sometime later, her parents and the guards were all assembled. She heard a couple express their apprehension at fighting the girl they once had to protect. Her mother pleaded with Toph's father to reconsider.

They were equipped with arrows, nets and metal chains, but hey were no match for the greatest earthbender and only metalbender in the world. She played a similar tactic and raised the dust, and started picking them off one by one.

As the dust settled, Toph approached her father. "I've defeated the guards. I am going to Ba Sing Se."

He did not flinch. "As we agreed. Until then, you will work on your etiquette with your mother."

She cracked the ground with a stomp. That was exactly the reason she didn't want to come back here. "That wasn't part of the agreement! I already know proper society behaviour!"

"Ettiquette is a skill that will always need to be brushed up. The Ba Sing Se summit is not an event where you can earthbend people into submission. If you want to go and not risk reigniting the war, you will work on your manners." He was not going to budge.

"Fine." She said that she was going to go with her friends to the summit and she was going to get there whatever it took.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thank you for reading.
> 
> This title's chapter was one that I was tossing up for chapter six which now has a much more straightforward title.  
> And I know that it's taking an age, but don't worry, the South Pole is coming.
> 
> Feedback would be much appreciated :)


	3. The Coming of Age

The journey home was long, but the closer that they got they got to their final destination, the more worried Sokka became. How were they were going to be received at the South Pole? He anticipated the heartbreak from the families of the men who had passed away. His father planned to spend time travelling to the other villages to personally deliver the news as the chief. It would be the first contact they would have with these villages since the men left.

Sokka's village slightly moved throughout the year and would've had to be rebuilt from the damage caused by Zuko's ship. It wouldn't have been in exact same location as they left it. As they headed toward the usual summer location, they sent Aang on Appa to scout ahead. He shortly returned with a couple small Northern style boats who escorted the fleet to a new ice wharf where a crowd of people were waiting for them.

If Sokka didn't recognize his grandmother, he would've assumed that they were at the North Pole. The buildings behind him more closely resembled Northern architecture. He was surprised by how much the kids had grown in months they had been gone. It must've been a bigger shock for the men. A lot of the little kids huddled around their mothers and had to be coaxed forward to meet their fathers, uncles and brothers.

As he waited to disembark, his cousin Aora ran forward to her husband who she had just wed before they left.

"Are you crying, Sokka?" asked Katara.

"What? No!" he denied.

"He is!" said Aang.

His sister gave him a hug which he was grateful for.

"Oh, no," she said.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Namiko is pregnant."

"That's great!" said Aang.

Sokka shook his head. "She's the wife of Mato."

"Oh."

This news hit him like a wayward boomerang to the head.

If this could happen, then what was to stop Suki from choosing someone else. She was too good for him and could get anyone she wanted.

They had briefly discussed what could happen, but Sokka couldn't have ask her to give up the Kyoshi Warriors when she's worked on that since she was a young girl. He had been training from birth to take over as chief. That being said, the title of Chief wasn't strictly a hereditary title.

He'd find a solution to make it work. He knew that the distance would be difficult. Although it should be easier to keep in contact once Hawky returned from his unplanned excursion to the Fire Nation.

Sokka looked around and spotted Mato walking back onto the ships.

Their dad wrapped his arms around Sokka and his sister. "Go greet your grandmother. I'll go check if Mato is okay."

"But don't you want to see Gran Gran?" she asked.

"As chief, it's my duty to ensure the wellbeing of my fellow tribesmen. She knows that." The corner of his mouth twitched upwards. "Besides, my mother hasn't seen me in over three years, she won't mind a couple minutes more."

Sokka and Katara nodded and disembarked to finally see their Gran Gran. They bowed to her and then gave her a big hug.

"My, you have grown my little waterbender," she said, touching Katara's face. She faced Sokka with a stern expression. "Did you look after your sister?"

He struggled not to roll his eyes. "Yes, Gran Gran."

She broke into a smile and patted his cheek too. She looked around. "Where's your father?"

"He's helping Mato."

"Ah… I see." The wrinkle between her forehead softened suddenly and Sokka followed her line sight to Pakku. They embraced.

Hearing that they were together was one thing, but seeing it was another.

Sokka noticed some of the older waterbenders walking down the gangplank and called them over. "Gran Gran, these are some old Southern Water Tribe members, Hama, Kenri and Mino."

Pakku and Katara tensed when Hama came closer. Sokka's step-grandfather was alarmed by her bloodbending abilities which was considered taboo in the Northern Water Tribe. The Chief's council held long discussions before the voyage about what to do with her, but they voted to let her finally live freely as a Southern Water Tribe member. The decision didn't stop Pakku from watching her like a sea-raven, or Sokka and the others keeping quiet about Katara's abilities.

Gran Gran widened her eyes in amazement. "You're alive."

"It's been a long time, Kanna," said Hama.

Sokka's stomach grumbled, ruining the moment. He rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry."

Gran Gran chuckled. "That's all right. We can catch up over food." She clapped her hands and raised her voice and made an announcement to the village. "Our family have come home. It is time to prepare a feast."

* * *

Suki feinted and her opponent lunged forward with a closed fist. She then blocked a kick and countered with a sweep of her leg, knocking Naomi down. She pinned her on the ground. A few moments later, Naomi tapped out.

A part of her had hoped that winning sparring matches would assert her authority over the girls, but that didn't seem to work. If anything, they seemed to respect her less. Suki had to talk to Naomi about this soon especially with the mission requests. To her surprise though, the other warrior approached her after training one day.

"Can we t-talk?" Naomi asked.

"Of course." Suki sat cross legged on the ground, and the other girl followed suit. "What is it that you wanted to talk about out?"

"W-when we were in prison, the girls got yelled at and treated really badly, and the way you're giving instructions has been really similar to that." She grimaced. "Do you mind changing the way you're talking to us?"

"Oh." Suki reflected on the way the prison officers communicated. They were direct and when things didn't go their way, aggressive. She realised that she did the same thing.

"Perhaps you could rephrase the instructions as a question?" Naomi quietly suggested. Her eyes flickered away.

"I see. I'll be mindful of that," she replied. She smiled in a hopefully encouraging manner. "Thank you for telling me. I noticed that the girls weren't listening to me and I thought it was because they blamed me for taking them out of Kyoshi Island."

She fidgeted. "Actually, some do…" She raised her chin and said more resolutely, "Which is unfair, because we all knew there were going to be risks."

"Well, I am the leader, so it's my responsibility to keep you all safe, which I failed to do." Suki turned her palms upwards. "I assumed that nothing could happen to me and left you without a leader. But I'm glad that you stepped up and looked after everyone when we got captured." She bowed. "Thank you, Naomi."

She waved her hands dismissively and bowed. "I was really just doing my best for the Kyoshi Warriors. I don't think that I wasn't good enough for all of them." She broke eye contact. "They were still others who kept saying that they wish you were there to lead us. I did."

Suki was glad to hear that. "You did really well. In fact, I was wondering if you would like to be second in command."

Naomi was silent for a moment then slowly said, "I thought that you had to issue out a challenge for that role like what you did."

Dissatisfied with the leadership of the Kyoshi Warriors, a young Suki had challenged the then leader. She didn't win, however was made second in command and successor. She was impatient to have more control over the decisions, but when she unexpectedly got what she wanted, she realised that she had much more to learn and missed the older girl's wisdom. "The challenge is more traditional for the leader role, but it is your right as a Kyoshi Warrior to do so. Did you want to issue out a challenge?"

"Spirits, no" she laughed. "After today's poor performance, there's no way I could beat you. A lot of the other girls are stronger than me though, why don't you ask them?"

"Physical strength is just one part of being a leader. I've seen how you interacted with the girls. They trust you."

"I'm not quite sure that I'm ready."

"I'll train you. You've already been doing a great job letting me know if there are any problems. The only other additional responsibilities would be helping with the training plan and leading some of some of the missions. In fact, we've received a request to help Chin village, and Oyaji has requested that we represent Kyoshi Island at summit as he's a bit too old to travel."

Naomi crossed her arms. "I don't think that the girls are ready to venture that far. Chin, maybe, but not Ba Sing Se. And personally, I don't think I can be so far away from family for that long so soon after being back home."

"If I went to Ba Sing Se, do you think that you would be able to look after the warriors here?"

"I think that if I got some training," she said slowly, "I should be okay. Anyways, I need to get going. My younger brother told me to go home straight away."

"Night, Naomi."

Just before she left, Naomi said, "You know, Suki, I was worried that you were asking me to be second in command because you were going to get married like Hirase and quit the Kyoshi Warriors."

That was news to Suki. "That's good to hear about Hirase. But once a Kyoshi Warrior, you're always a Kyoshi Warrior. In my case, it's still way too early to be talking about that. Maybe a couple years."

She closed the dojo and went through her daily routine of eating and bathing. She went to bed exhausted and wished that Sokka was right there beside her.

* * *

Aang and Katara entered the igloo after the morning's waterbending training. He collapsed onto his unmade sleeping bag facedown, still in his coat. Momo swatted at his ears.

Sokka muttered something unintelligible.

"Oh, Sokka," greeted Katara. "You're finally awake."

"Has Hawky arrived?"

"Do you see him?" she replied.

Aang heard her start the fire and then rummage around for a pot.

"No."

"Then Hawky still isn't here." The grains of rice rattled as it landed on the metal surface. "He'll come back."

Sokka's voice rose in volume. "He shouldn't have gone in the first place! Who said that you could use him without asking me – again?!"

"Well, dad needed to send a letter Zuko and General Iroh. Don't worry, I've asked him to send two hawks and some more fire flakes." The rice swished as the water sloshed around.

"But how am I going to send my letter Suki?"

The pot landed on the stand with a thud. "There's a ship heading to the Earth Kingdom in the morning. Give it to them to deliver. Besides, the bird was just sitting here for a couple days, and you even said yes to dad when he asked to use him."

"I didn't realise that he meant right then!"

"You'll see her in a few weeks when we head to Ba Sing Se for the summit."

Sokka grunted. "Aang, can you tell Katara off for using other people's stuff? Hey, are you alright?"

"I'm just tired," he replied. "I did so many Rise and Fall drills today."

"Well, you needed to work on your balance," said Katara. "You got knocked off balance by Kita."

He raised his head and protested, "But I'm a fully realized Avatar."

"But your balance needs work."

He looked at Sokka for support.

"She has a point. Are you even able to enter the Avatar State?"

Aang felt the blood rush to his ears. "I was able to before."

"Have you tried since the comet?"

"No," he admitted. "Sometimes I can feel myself about to enter it, but then I've stopped it." Truthfully, that was what caused him to lose against Kita.

"That's a start," said Katara.

"But it's not full control," countered Sokka. He turned his attention to the skewered fish his sister was cooking over the open flame.

"Anyways," she said, "the point I was originally trying to make is that sometimes you need to go back to the basics and relearn it again. Don't feel bad. The legend goes that it usually takes a few years for an Avatar to become a master in all four elements and they usually start at the age of sixteen. You've got to be patient."

"Okay," Aang sighed. He put his head back down, defeated. He kept trying to impress her, but she kept treating him like a child. If it will take him years to become a fully realised Avatar, it might be too late. She might marry someone else.

"I agree."

"You're the one who's so frustrated that the Northerners aren't getting along with the men of our tribe," she snapped.

"Really?" said Aang. "But you're both Water Tribe." He thought about it for a moment. "They seem to get along with me."

"Well," said Sokka, "the Northern and Southern Tribes are literally polar opposites. And you're the Avatar and not to mention an honorary member of the tribe."

He turned his head. "Why? Because of the ice dodging thing?"

"That's it!" he exclaimed, startling Momo. "We can do an ice dodging ritual and also invite all of the other villages in the South Pole."

Aang sat up excitedly. "Like a festival? That sounds like fun!"

They turned to Katara.

"Well, sis?"

"I actually really like this idea," she said while inspecting the cooked fish and the pot. "The ritual symbolises when we enter a new phase of our lives. We can have one to symbolise the new phase of the life of the Southern Water Tribe and it'll give us an opportunity for us to learn about each other's cultures, it's kind of similar to how Avatar has to. Hey! Where are you going?"

Sokka had jumped out of his on his boots and coat. "I'm going to find Dad. Do you know where he is?"

"By the Crescent Wall."

Sokka was gone with a the fish before she finished speaking.

Katara turned to Aang who had jumped up to follow. "You too? I haven't finished making your breakfast yet." She pointed to the pot.

He shuddered at the thought of more jook. He waved and exited the igloo with Momo on his shoulder. "Oh, I'll come back later. I'm the Avatar, maybe I could help convince them to have the festival."

* * *

When Toph was a young girl, she overheard her parents ask a priest why she was blind.

"It is a curse from the spirits," he said.

Not wanting to hurt them further, she had run away. It wasn't hard. The darkness of night didn't scare her. She walked through the familiar paths of the estate, all the while waiting and listening for the guards. She expected to be caught, but slipped past the side gate like a spirit. She walked and walked, and had a sudden desire to go back, however, she didn't know the way home. Toph kept walking until she met some badger moles. They looked after her until she was eventually found, clothes tattered, shoes discarded and covered in dirt.

When she returned home, her parents had restricted her from any activity that may cause her harm and ordered the guards to constantly watch her and help her.

But Toph wasn't helpless. She had beaten all of those guards, and as she agreed, she began her lessons on social etiquette with her mother.

It didn't turn out to be an effective form of learning. Her mother wanted to go easy on her, saying that Toph was just a helpless little girl, so her father had hired a personal tutor. Master Kong was strict. He drilled her on social etiquette, arithmetic and music.

"Ba Sing Se is not a place for helpless children," he declared, completely ignoring her protests that she has been to the capital before.

Toph dug her heels in and attempted to learn everything to prove that she wasn't a helpless child. But the more she learnt, the more they added to her curriculum. Soon, she had progressed from using the abacus to doing mental calculations. Now she was expected to be able to recite all the noblemen and their families in the southern region of the Earth Kingdom and their main exports.

One day, the Boulder and the Hippo visited the estate. A couple of guards nearly fainted in excitement.

"The Boulder and the Hippo want to learn how to metalbend!" the Boulder declared.

Her father, ever the businessman, demanded money in exchange for the lessons. She wasn't glad that he was charging her friends, but at least she was allowed to earthbend. He ordered her to teach the guards too.

At least she was supposed to teach them how to metalbend. First, they had to be able to see with their feet but they were even more stubborn than Aang.

"I can't earthbend blindfolded!"

"I'm blind and I can earthbend! If you can't bend earth you can't see, how can you find the pieces of earth in metal so you can bend it?"

Her mother was not pleased. It was decidedly unladylike behaviour and not attractive to suitors. Toph thought that she wouldn't have to deal with marriage because of the curse.

Toph cursed Katara and the others for making her feel guilty about having both parents who wanted her home. They had an odd way of showing they cared. On one hand she was a helpless little girl, but on another she was to be prepared for marriage. She felt as if she was walking in circles with her parents. She already made such a fuss about wanting to be treated like an adult, that she wasn't going to create more trouble. She wasn't a young girl any more.

* * *

The drums began to signal the ice dodging ceremony. Katara went and sat next to her grandmother at the vantage point while the candidates and assessors lined up by the shore. There were children from the different villages and the Northern Water Tribe were split into groups of three. After hearing the story from Aang about how Katara had partaken in one, more girls joined in than usual. Katara couldn't believe that the kids were now old enough to do ice dodging, nor that Sokka was qualified to assess it.

She cast a suspicious glance as Hama sat on the other side to Gran Gran.

"I haven't seen an ice dodging festival in years," she said. "Although I do wish I was young enough to dance. Has anyone asked you to dance, Katara?"

"No." She knew that her grandmother disapproved of the impolite answer, but she found it hard to forgive the elderly woman for nearly hurting her friends and for making her a bloodbender. At least Hama hadn't said anything about Katara being one too.

"They're probably afraid," said Gran Gran.

"Why? Because I'm a waterbending master?"

"I was going to say because of your brother and Pakku," she chuckled.

Katara rolled her eyes. They and Aang had interrupted her conversations on more than one occasion. She noticed that they'd only done so when she was talking to men, not women. It's not as if she could avoid talking to them. Nearly all of her training partners were men, and she didn't want to be in a conversation with Hama in it if she could avoid it.

Frustratingly, her brother didn't think that Aang's attempts at flirting were bothersome enough to require an intervention.

"He's a child," he explained.

The first ships began sailing through the course. Alon's crew made it through easily, but Datu's crew had some scraping on the port side.

"It didn't look as bad as what Bato did to his father's beloved ship," commented Gran Gran. "It's not about whether or not you made a mistake, but if you'd learn from them."

"Do you remember the time the route was near some rhino-whales?" Hama asked.

"Do I remember? It's one of the boys' favourite stories."

After the ice dodging there was the feast.

While they were preparing the food, Gran Gran had told Katara that at first the Northerners had tried to stop the women from hunting because it was unfeminine. In response, they didn't share any of the spit-roasted pig-seal or let them know where the good hunting grounds were until they apologised.

Sokka performed the speech that he was practising constantly for the past week. She, Aang and a few of Pakku's other students did a waterbending performance. Her father also spoke to the tribe but kept it short so that they could finally eat.

As soon as the music and dancing started, Aang jumped from his seat.

Katara looked at his full bowl. "Aang, you've hardly finished your sea prunes."

"But I'm sick of sea prunes."

"There's also seaweed soup," she offered.

"It's has fish sauce in it."

"Sorry, Aang," she said. "I'll check the stores and see what else you can eat."

"Can I go dance now?"

"Sure." She supposed that he had been working hard recently with reaching out to the other villages and his training.

"Aren't you coming?"

"I'm still eating." Luckily, she had a legitimate excuse this time. She waved as he ran off to the dancers.

Everyone seemed to be having fun. Even Mato seemed to be having a great time thanks to the rice wine they purchased in Gaoling. Toph's father had been generous and insisted they take the reward.

"Kids these days, wasting food," muttered an elder.

She continued to eat until Aora and some cousins dragged her to the women's dance circle around the bonfire. It had been a while since she last did this dance, but she remembered the rhythm and flow of the movements. She felt her cheeks warm from heat of the bonfire and the dancing. It reminded her of being in the Fire Nation. She couldn't help but smile.

The beat changed. Her line turned to the middle and the inner line faced hers. It was a partner dance. She hadn't done this routine before, but quickly picked it up by the time they had changed partners a second time.

Suddenly Sokka was pulling her away from the dancers.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Why are you dancing?"

She crossed her arms. "What?"

"Why are you dancing?" he said, emphasising every word.

She pointed at Aang. "If he's allowed to dance, then I am too."

"He's the Avatar."

"And I'm the Avatar's Waterbending Master."

"You're too young to be dancing."

"I'm older than Aang!"

"He's a hundred and twelve!"

"I thought you thought that he was a child!" She caught a whiff of her brother's breath. "Are you drunk?!"

"I'm of age!" he slurred. "And you're not allowed to marry."

"I know that! I'm only fifteen but I'm still allowed to – Oh, Sokka. Don't cry." She gave him a hug.

"Katara, please, don't embarrass me," he said, wiping away his tears but not making an attempt to escape the embrace. "I'm a man."

"And I'm not a child any more, but I'll always be your little sister." He could be annoying and embarrassing but if it wasn't for him, they never would have found the Avatar those months ago, ended the war and be celebrating with everyone in their tribe. Whatever came their way next, she was glad that she had him by her side.

"And I'll always be your big brother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think that this would be a tricky chapter to write but, to be fair, this story is my first time trying to world build instead of stitching together pieces for a mash-up AU. Thank you for your patience.
> 
> I'm actually genuinely surprised that I've been receiving positive comments about Toph. My brother likes to remind me that I'm no longer young, so it's nice to think that I'm still able to relate to her. Your validation means a lot! :)
> 
> In the next chapter, we'll find out more about our favourite firebender out west.


	4. Dragon of the West

The sun was high in the sky, but Azula didn't feel as if there was any point in getting out of bed. Unfortunately, not everyone agreed with her.

A servant knocked on the door. "Princess Azula, General Iroh is here to speak with you."

"Send him away," she ordered. "I don't want to speak to the traitor."

"Princess Azula, that wounds my heart," he said. He stood at the threshold of her sleeping chambers. "I'm your uncle."

"Not by choice. No if you don't mind, leave. I was asleep." He still visited her most days and constantly told her to eat her food, comb her hair and go outside. She recently found out that it was him who had revoked her order to banish Lo from the Fire Nation. They had tried and failed to see Azula. Unlike them, her uncle had greater power than her so she couldn't send him away.

"It's midday," he replied, gleefully. "I was wondering if you'd like to have some tea and play some pai sho. I remember that you used to love that game growing up."

She narrowed her eyes. She knew that he was spying on her and reporting back to her bother, but there had to be another agenda with him. He was the prideful eldest son, who was rumoured to behind the dishonour and disownment of his siblings. Only Azula's father had bested him at his own game and become the Fire Lord.

However, Azula knew she could beat him at pai sho. She had consistently defeated her cousin, Lu Ten, who taught her and who could beat General Iroh.

"Sure, why not."

He stepped outside to wait in the outer chamber while servants changed her clothes. She combed her hair and then stepped into the other room where the servants had set up the board by the window. She sat down and he let her make the first move. A few pieces in, he predictably began asking her questions about what she ate.

"I'm the princess, my actions shouldn't be questioned."

"But your actions should be done consciously, and that's what the questions do. They're to make you aware of the choices of how you live your life."

"I know what I'm doing."

He took a sip from his tea cup and placed a coin tile. "Then are you aware of the repercussions of your choices?"

She raised her chin and met his gaze. "I'm the princess. All of my choices have been ordained by the spirits."

"Yes, you're the princess, but what else are you?"

"Everything else is unimportant." She put down a lily peace and waited in silence for his next action.

"That was a good move." He stroked his beard. He put down a boat tile then asked, "If you were no longer the princess, then would you think that you would be unimportant?"

She had no answer, so she fired back, "If you were no longer the prince, then you'd just be a fuddy-duddy uncle." Azula placed a rice tile on the board triumphantly. She would win a few more moves.

"I'd be Iroh, the fuddy-duddy uncle to the Fire Nation Princess and Fire Lord, retired General, Dragon of the West, tea lover, tsungi horn player, pai sho grand master, Mushi, husband to the late Lady Suriana and father of the late Prince Lu Ten." He placed a white lotus tile on the table.

Azula's temper flared. She flipped the table. The teapot and cups shattered. The pieces scattered across the floor. Any other move she could've made would've ended in defeat in three moves or less.

"A princess knows when to admit defeat," he said. His expression was unreadable. When she was younger, she could never be sure if that meant if the Dragon of the West was going to yell at her. She no longer cared.

"Well, I lost."

"An apology for spilling the tea would be nice."

"It's just hot leaf juice." She crossed her arms.

His brow bunched up. "First Zuko, now you?"

"Don't compare me to him," she snapped.

"Very well," he huffed. "Would you like this mess to be cleaned up?"

"No."

He sighed. "It's your choice princess Azula. Is there anything else your uncle can do for you?"

"You can leave me alone."

"Very well," he stood up and bowed stiffly. "Thank you for honouring me with your time, Princess Azula."

He left, ordering the servants to leave the mess for Azula to clean, not that she would. It was the servants' job to do that and she was the princess.

* * *

One day, while Toph was training the guards, the Boulder, and the Hippo, there was a knock at the front gate. She could sense that there were some children on the other side of the gate, however, none of the on-duty guards listened to their pleas for food and money.

Leaving her students to continue their blindfold drills, she approached the gate.

"Why didn't you open up?"

"It was just some beggars," one replied.

"They just some kids, and I asked why."

"Our orders are to keep the doors closed to beggars," the other guard said. "If you have any complaints, ask the Lord or Lady Beifong."

Toph stomped back to her students. The guards may listen to her when she's training them, but outside of training, they didn't.

Right after the lesson, she was scheduled to tend to the penzai trees with her mother. She told her about the incident and her mother overreacted as usual.

"You shouldn't be getting involved with those kids," Toph's mother exclaimed. "They're bad dangerous and bad influences."

"But they're younger than I am, and they seemed to be starving."

Her mother paused. "I'll speak to the mayor and see what can be done." She returned to pruning the miniature tree. "Don't worry about it."

Toph kept pushing, but her stubborn mother began lecturing her about proper leaf distribution instead.

That night, Toph lay on her bed with her feet up to numb her senses enough to let her think.

"What would Uncle Iroh do?" she asked herself. She missed him. He would listen then give her good advice. All her parents would do was try to keep her under their control even with all of her earthbending abilities.

"It is difficult being a parent," Uncle Iroh had said when she complained to him about hers. "You want to make sure nothing bad happens to your child, and there are a lot of dangers in the world."

At the end of the day, Toph didn't want to be a bad daughter by upsetting them, but she couldn't not do anything. They children were hungry and needed food and money. Luckily, she had her own money.

She dug through her hiding location under her bed and took out her the money she won from her first Earth Rumble Tournament and the Fire Nation.

Now she needed a way to distribute it without bothering her parents. Uncle Iroh did say that she didn't need to do everything on her own.

* * *

"The Ice Dodging ceremony was a huge success. There were people from villages all over the South Pole and last night, we had the largest gathering of village chiefs and representatives in years," wrote Katara in her letter to Zuko. "We may need to build a larger igloo to fit everyone in."

The gathering, held the evening after the ceremony, was to reconnect the Southern Water Tribe villages and to discuss topics that they would later vote on that would be presented at the Summit in Ba Sing Se in a few weeks.

While there was general optimism about the growing Southern Water Tribe, there was anxiety about the state of the world outside. Some other Water Tribe villages had trade agreements with certain Earth Kingdom towns, however the the Ba Sing Se coup had disrupted trade which hadn't restarted because of the missing Earth King. The news that the Earth Kingdom capital was under control of the generals and the Dai Li had disturbed many.

"Didn't the White Lotus had taken control of the city?" said Sokka. He wasn't a chief or representative, but as someone being trained to become one, he was permitted to ask questions during the meeting. Other people were permitted to attend, but couldn't speak unless asked.

"What's the White Lotus?" asked Ramanto, representative of the most eastern Southern Water Tribe village.

"It's a society that has members from around the world," explained Pakku, who was representing the Northern Water Tribe. "We had taken control of the city on the day of the comet, and are monitoring the transition to Earth Kingdom rule."

"Will the city be safe for the summit?" asked her father.

"There are already representatives from all of the nations and kingdoms present there. It is a safe as anywhere else, and it's an important place to symbolise the end of the war."

"Very well. Katara, what news is there from Fire Lord Zuko?"

She was about to respond but she was interrupted by Ramanto.

"Who is Fire Lord Zuko?"

"The son of the former Fire Lord Ozai."

"The son of the former Fire Lord Ozai?" repeated Kianu, chief of the village closest to theirs in the west. "Is that wise?"

"The continuity of power that Fire Lord Zuko provides will be crucial in maintaining peace in the Fire Nation during this period of great change," said Katara's father. "The Earth King is already missing and we are all feeling the effects. Imagine the disruption in the peace building efforts that would be caused by another change in leadership."

"The Fire Nation Royal Family is greatly revered in the country," added Pakku. "In fact, there are many who were in favour of Fire Lord Ozai for all the technology he has brought during his reign."

"Why not General Iroh?" asked Chief Jumi, from one of the mountain villages.

In Zuko's last letter, he also wrote that questioned why his uncle didn't take the trone.

"He was the Fire Lord Azulon's heir," she continued. "He was the one who broke the stalemate in the north west continent and pierced the Earth Kingdom armour with his siege on the Earth Kingdom capital."

"And you want that as the leader?" Ramanto asked. "Besides, because of the defeat at Ba Sing Se, he lost honour in the Fire Nation court. Many lives were lost including Colonel Lu Ten, his son, and as a result, Fire Lord Ozai was renamed as the heir and successor to the throne."

"Most importantly, General Iroh has never contested for the throne," said Katara's father.

Chief Jumi did not seem convinced. "The current Fire Lord is young. I wouldn't be surprised that he was a tile in the Dragon of the West's political game of pai sho. He's probably waiting on the ensuing chaos so that he can claim the throne."

"Does it matter?" asked Chief Kianu. "The Fire Lord is probably as cruel as the rest of his family, I mean, look at his scar."

"What!? Zuko isn't like that! And he's a highly capable leader!"

"Katara! Be quiet!" Gran Gran.

Sokka glared at her to keep quiet, and Aang looked shocked. The blood heated up her cheeks.

"I know that you are close friends with the Fire Lord," said her Father, "but you were not asked to speak."

Katara didn't mention this outburst in her letter.

"I apologise for my daughter's outburst," he continued. "However, I have to agree with her. I have met the young Fire Lord and must say that he is honourable. And he has sacrificed himself to save not only my life, but the life of Katara, the first waterbenders born to the Southern Water Tribe in generations."

There was some grumbling in amongst the chiefs and representatives.

"That doesn't mean that the Fire Nation should be forgiven for their crimes against the Water Tribes," said Chief Kianu. "It was Fire Lord Ozai who commanded the Southern Raids and should pay for his crimes."

Katara nearly asked Zuko if that was true in her letter, but decided against it. It was something that should be asked in person.

"And how are you going to do that?" her father questioned.

"Make it one of our demands at Ba Sing Se and convince the other countries to put pressure on Fire Nation Zuko to forfeit his father."

Not everyone looked convinced.

"We have the Avatar on our side, he can't refuse," Chief Kianu added.

Aang sat up straighter at the mention of his name.

"What are your thoughts, Avatar Aang?" asked Katara's father.

He took a gulp and then said, "You should forgive him."

"Of course, the Avatar would say that," Chief Kianu. "I still say we should demand Ozai's head for the sake of the balance in the world."

"As his friend, what do you think, Sokka?"

"There are enough sons missing fathers in the world," said Sokka. "And I know the Fire Lord Zuko. I've fought with him. I believe that he has the right vision for the future."

"Katara?"

"According to Fire Lord Zuko, his father is merely a shell of his former self. I don't think that revenge will satisfy you," she said. Apparently, his sister wasn't well either. "In any case, Fire Lord Zuko has honoured his word so far. He has aided us by returning our people and provided us with provisions to get us home."

Multiple people shouted in protest.

"But they killed so many of our people!"

"Traitors!"

"Enough!" commanded Chief Hakoda. "We'll set aside our foreign relationships aside for the moment and focus on strengthening ourselves here and the relationship between the Southern and the Northern water tribes."

"What about Foggy Swamp Tribe?" added Sokka.

"We have a Foggy Swamp Tribe?" asked Ramanto.

"Do you have a proposal, Sokka?" Hakoda.

"Um, a party?" Worry lines appeared on his forehead. "I haven't put much thought into it?"

"Man, to be young and to bounce back from a hangover," chuckled Chief Kianu, rubbing his temples.

"Sounds like the beginnings of a good idea. Now, do we have any other suggestions on how to strengthen the relationship among the water tribes?"

Katara didn't go into too much detail in the letter but wrote, "The chiefs and their representatives will still need to vote on the final actions, but it looks like Sokka, Aang and I will be heading to the North Pole once again after the Summit since we've already been there. On the way home, it would be good if we could visit you and your uncle, of course, in the Fire Nation, however, I understand that the schedule may not be idea."

She answered his question about what the Southern Water Tribe would be willing to trade their tiger dolphins for and with questions about his health and that of his uncle and sister. She finished up the letter with offers for assistance in the rebuilding efforts from the war and the typhoons.

Katara sealed the letter and put it in the container which already held the letter going to Toph and her father. It said that they were going to arrive in Gaoling in a couple weeks to pick them up to go to Ba Sing Se.

The new hawk that Zuko sent had a larger wingspan than Hawky, however Sokka still insisted that his was superior.

She attached the container to the bird, whispered the instructions to deliver it and sent it on its way.

* * *

Aang's boots made a crunching sound on the snow on his way to Nami's igloo.

"C'mon, Momo. We have to bring these pots for Katara and them maybe she'll have time to spend with us."

She was always busy helping out with the tribe or writing letters to Zuko and their other friends around the world. Aang wanted to be around her more so he offered to help, but he got sent on this errand instead.

Momo chattered away on his shoulder. The South Pole was beautiful and the sky was clear, but Aang missed flying on Appa to explore new places like he used to do with the monks.

"Maybe if we get this done, we can convince her to go to the Fire Nation with us. I want to ask Zuko's uncle for some new advice."

In Ba Singe Se, he said that it was wise to choose happiness and love over perfection and power, and that he had to keep pushing through difficult situations, but the advice didn't seem to be working.

"Aang come play!" called one of the kids waving a snowball.

He waved back. He loved hanging out with children. They didn't treat him any differently because he was the Avatar and were almost always impressed by his spinning marble trick.

"Sorry," he apologised. "I have to deliver the pots to Nami for Katara."

"C'mon! Just a quick game!"

"Please!" the other children chorused. Momo flew over from his shoulder to a child offering him some berries.

"Okay." It sounded fun. It was rare for him to have time off from training and the Avatar duties he was doing. He was asked for his opinion a lot, however, they didn't always listen to his advice especially when it came to forgiveness. Even Katara wouldn't forgive Hama even though she had forgiven Zuko and said at the gathering that revenge wasn't the answer.

Aang and the kids had convinced Sokka and his class of little warriors to join.

"Think of it as a tactical learning opportunity," Aang told him while the boys pleaded to let them join.

Soon, Aang and the kids had managed to round up all the other kids in the village to join in the snowball fight, even the shy ones. If only it was as easy to have the adults get along as easily as the little kids.

"Aang!"

He froze in fear. He completely forgot about the pots!

"Oh, sorry, Katara." He turned around and saw that he had her hands up in the air. Snowflakes fell from the sky. He looked up and all the snow fell on him. He heard her laugh.

"Look, it's great that you and the kids are having fun, but can you at least finish what you said you do? Nami came over looking for the pots."

"Sure thing," he said sheepishly.

"Katara come play!"

"Sure!" She picked up the pots up. "I'll just drop this off first."

Aang bounced to her. "I should be the one to do it."

"It's all right," she dismissed. "I wouldn't want to spoil the fun."

She suddenly raised a hand and the incoming snowball puffed into power.

Sokka booed her. "Katara! Don't fraternise with the enemy!"

"Do you want to have Nami's noodle soup for dinner, or not?" she snapped.

Aang wanted dinner that was actually vegetarian instead of a meat or fish with seaweed. When he asked for something that didn't have a dead animal in it, Gran Gran looked offended.

"How are you supposed to keep your energy up if you don't eat meat?"

Luckily, Katara knew what he'd eat.

She walked away from her brother telling her to hurry back and join his team, not that it would help him much when facing Aang's team. He didn't use any of his bending, but tactics would only work if they could predict their actions, and Sokka was up against an airbending master and kids.

When Katara returned, a hush came over the snowfield. They waited to see what side she was on. She flashed a bright smile to Aang and pelted a snowball at her brother.

"C'mon! let's go beat Sokka," she laughed.

Aang felt happier than he had in days. There was no way he could lose with Katara by his side.

* * *

"Let me," said Zuko taking the teapot and refilling the cup for his uncle. It had been a while since their usual morning tea and he had a lot of things he wanted his uncle's advice on.

"From the Fire Lord?" Uncle Iroh said with a smile. "You honour me greatly."

Zuko put down the pot and said, "Uncle, I still don't completely understand why you don't claim the throne. The ministers trust and respect you."

"If I was to become the Fire Lord, we, as a nation, risk being stuck in our old ways. If the seasons change, if the Avatar changes, then so must we." He took a sip of his tea. "And you have a legitimate claim to the rule."

"But I still have much to learn."

"And that is part of what makes you a great leader. You have also chosen to take on this role and have worked and fought to get the position you have now."

"But I haven't had the proper education a prince would have." It was one of the grievances that he frequently heard from the noblemen and ministers.

"Do not underestimate the leadership skills and knowledge you have gained from your time in exile or serving tea. A leader is a servant of the people."

Zuko looked down and clenched his fists. "But they still don't trust me. They seem to be disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing with me and they think that I'm a puppet to the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom."

"Trust and respect require time build," said his uncle. "And while connections are a source of power, the problems you face will be easier with a cohesive group."

"What should I do?

"What do you think you should do, Fire Lord Zuko?"

"I could punish them for being disrespectful," he guessed.

"And what would the outcome of that be?" Uncle Iroh did not sound impressed.

Zuko slammed his cup to the table. "Can't you just tell me what to do?"

"You cannot take my advice on blind faith. I do not know everything." Years ago, Uncle Iroh would demand that he do exactly as he commanded, but that had changed. "I am here to provide my advice, but my time will eventually come and it will be you and your generation that be left. Now think."

"If I punished them," Zuko said, putting a hand on the scar on his face, "they would resent me."

"Do you choose to punish them then?"

"No."

"Then what will you do instead?"

"I'll go talk to them."

"Then you have made your choice."

"What if I made a mistake?" A lack of punishment could be seen as a further sign of weakness.

"Then at least you have made a choice, live with it." Uncle Iroh went into that far off place he always went into when he talked about his son, Lu Ten. Zuko's cousin was a prodigious Fire Bender, level headed and very honourable. Despite his status as heir to the throne, he always had time to play with his younger cousins.

Zuko sighed. "People think that it's a mistake that Azula has so much freedom."

"Is there true freedom if you are unable to make a choice?"

"What do you mean?"

His uncle refilled his cup. "Your sister has had so many things provided for her, that she hasn't used her decision-making skills. They have deteriorated to the point that she can't make simple choices for herself such as eating or getting up."

"But what do we do with her?"

"It will require time to gain her trust and get her healthy again. She is still young. There is still hope. We need to make sure she's connected to the world and not just tethered by one thing."

Zuko didn't know what to say.

"She reminds me of another teenager I once knew in a similar situation."

He bowed his head. "I'm sorry."

"I've already forgiven you."

"Thank you." If it wasn't for his uncle, he would've surrendered to his lowest instincts.

"What do you notice about these tea cups?" asked Uncle Iroh.

Zuko looked at them closely. "They're cracked."

At first glance, the cups all had gold lines that looked like painted lightning, but upon closer inspection were golden joints keeping the broken pieces together.

"I bought it when I visited Kintsu. The craftsmen take broken pieces and join it together with gold. I wonder if they take commission." A crease formed between his brows. "I should've saved those pieces. Anyways," he said, shaking his head, "what do you think they represent?"

"Things that are broken can be mended again." Zuko offered. "Is that right?"

"There is no right or wrong when it comes to your thoughts," he answered. He held his cup up to eye level and turned it in his hands. "It also reminds me that our faults and scars are not something to hide but display with pride. Always remember that, Fire Lord Zuko."

They drank the rest of their tea in reflective silence. Zuko, his country and the world were certainly scarred and broken. He rubbed the starburst scar on his chest. Like Azula, the world would take time to heal and change, but hopefully, it would result in lasting peace and balance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! I had every intention of posting up this chapter earlier this week, but things started getting emotionally draining. I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but I do want to get to the next chapters. Rest assured, that I'm not just doing nothing! I'll aim to have the next chapter out in a couple of weeks!
> 
> By the way, I'm just going to fix the seasons… So right now, in the Avatar world, it's roughly autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere, depending on the latitude.


End file.
